Capitol Theater

322 NW 14th Street,
Miami, FL 33136

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dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters on October 16, 2022 at 9:47 am

The venue opened as the Skydome Theater, an open-air destination for African American fans of films, live entertainment and boxing in 1925. Wometco took on the venue making it a hardtop called the Harlem Theatre likely in 1933. Wometco closed the Capitol Theatre in downtown and moved the marquee to the Harlem which was renamed the Capitol for its September 6, 1953 relaunch.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters on October 15, 2022 at 10:14 pm

You are correct. The closure and story about the theater’s impending demise were printed but there was an eleventh hour appeal made of the demolition’s starting point when there weren’t enough homes provided for displaced elderly residents. The theatre did reopen before Big Chief Demolition came back in and wiped out “Good Bread Alley” finally taking the Capitol Theatre and everything around it early in 1975.

Locals called the urban renewal plan simply a means by which the local government would allow the displacement and destruction of African American neighbors and neighborhoods. Final showtimes for the Capitol are corrected as occurring January 28, 1975 with a double feature of “Savage Streets” and “Street Gangs of Hong Kong.”

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez on October 15, 2022 at 5:44 am

Dallas, you may want to double check that. The Miami Herald Movie Time Clock carries a Capitol listing until 1975. Did it continue to run as an independent?

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters on October 14, 2022 at 10:29 pm

Closed on December 13, 1973 with a double-feature of “The Black Six” with Mike Angel and Rod Dana in “Kill or Be Killed.” The wrecking ball struck days later.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez on October 14, 2022 at 12:14 pm

Sad Miami History, Dallasmovietheatres. I remember Jimmy Barnett, manager of the Olympia in the 50’s and 60’s, telling me that white Cuban stage dancers from Havana were forced to wear white make-up because the City of Miami thought they were a little “too dark” to perform there otherwise.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters on October 14, 2022 at 11:52 am

On September 6, 1953, the Harlem Theatre became the streamline moderne Capitol Theatre for Wometco Theatres with Tony Curtis in “Houdini.” It was likely at the renewal of the theater’s 20-year lease which would place its possible opening by Wometco in 1933.

In a moment highlighting the Miami police’s decade’s long hostile track record on race relations, the police shuttered the Harlem Theater’s March 17, 1934 just prior to an integrated audience show exclusively with African American performers. Over 2,000 patrons showed up for that evening’s show and so did Miami police who said they would arrest all of the African American cast members if they presented the show with any White patrons in the audience. Wometco was outraged by the late notice cancellation and said that the Lyric Theatre had a similar show without incident in 1932 (that ad is posted under the Lyric’s Cinema Treasure page). But the circuit couldn’t find a judge to intervene at the 11th hour and the show was cancelled with refunds given.

The show was then rescheduled on March 21 and 22, 1934 with Wometco both gaining an injunction and vowing to donate proceeds to the Salvation Army. But that wasn’t enough for the City Council which threatened to pass an ordinance prohibiting any White person from attending an African American theater. Wometco buckled cancelling the March 21st show and then offering the show exclusively to African American patrons on the 22d. Mayor E.G. Sewell was pleased with Wometco’s decision saying that “you are bound to have trouble” in such a performance.

The City then proposed an ordinance prohibiting performances by African American displaying any part of their bodies other than face, neck hands or arms before White audiences and by White performers using the same language in the presence of African American audiences. That ordinance was not enacted. But the City would get the last word in plowing a highway project right down the center of the neighborhood where the Harlem / Capitol was a focal point thus dissecting the formerly-vibrant African American neighborhood out of existence.

Harvey
Harvey on April 14, 2010 at 10:12 pm

1973 Miami News article on closing of the Capitol

View link

Go to Page 3.

jeffsfonts
jeffsfonts on March 29, 2010 at 2:47 pm

The Regal Brewery was on the Miami River near [i think] 20th Street. They made both the Regal and National brands.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez on March 23, 2010 at 9:15 pm

Was that Regal Brewery the one next to Booker T. Washington High (later Junior) High? If so, I remember it well when I went to school there during the first year of integration. A sour smell fill the air all day long at the school.

jeffsfonts
jeffsfonts on March 23, 2010 at 8:34 pm

This theater was renamed the Capitol in the 1950’s, originally the name of the downtown Miami theater that became the studios for WTVJ (then Channel 4). The Harlem/Capitol was torn down in the late 1960’s for construction of the 836 Expressway.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on August 15, 2009 at 6:43 pm

This was in the Hope (AR) Star in August 1940:

MIAMI, Fla.-Blank pistols are standard equipment for ushers at the Harlem theater in the Miami negro section. Jack Woodberry, an usher, explained the practice when ho was brought into court on a charge of shooting at a negro boy. He said his pistol was loaded only with blanks to frighten youngsters who threaten to crash the gate. Otherwise, he added, the boys return and throw rocks at the theater entrance. A fine against Woodberry was suspended.

MayfairMan
MayfairMan on March 21, 2009 at 12:09 pm

The Regal Beer brewery was on NW 20th Street just east of 7th Avenue. About where I-95 crosses 20th Street now. We passed the brewery often on the way to my father’s business near the old produce market on 10th Ave. My dad used to tell a story that during the Depression Regal had a beer tap at the NE corner of the building on 20th Street where they would give away free beer for an hour. With pails and pitchers in hand, the line would form early, but hour always ran out before the line got their free beer. In the late ‘40 and early '50s you could still see the pipe they plugged the tap into sticking out of the building.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez on March 11, 2009 at 8:34 am

This was operating as the SKYDOME in 1931.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez on July 27, 2008 at 1:30 pm

This was called the Capitol from 1972-1974.

Louis of Pompano
Louis of Pompano on April 17, 2008 at 11:52 pm

Given the address this theatre was very close to the old Regal Beer brewery.

Louis of Pompano
Louis of Pompano on April 13, 2008 at 6:55 pm

Was this theatre ever called the Carver Theatre?